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Holidays In Central Goa

Central Goa Holidays at a Glance

The beautiful beach of Miramar is located about 3 kms from Panaji and lies adjoining the estuary of the river Mandovi as it opens into the Arabian Sea. It was originally known as the 'Gasper Dias Beach'; from the beach across the river is an excellent view of Fort Aguada. The area is very much commercialised and a large number of hotels and exclusive homes of Goa's rich and famous occupy the area. The beach is crowded with locals and tourists alike on most days.

Who goes to Central Goa?Holidays to central goa are ideal for those who want to relax and a quiet holiday.

Miramar is the ideal resort for those who like to be within easy reach of both North and South. Peace and tranquillity can be found on the exclusive sandy beach at the Goa Marriott resort and yet you are just a short drive the capital city Panjim. This is a great little town with a real Portuguese influence, especially in the old quarter with some excellent restaurants and shops selling locally produced good.

Panaji: The capital of Goa and headquarters of North Goa District, a small and charming city on the left bank of silvery Mandovi River, with beautiful red-roofed houses, built in Latin style, also boasts of many modern houses, well laid gardens, statues and avenues lined with Glmohar, Acassia and other trees. Enchanting panorama unfolds from atop Altinho (HillTop).

Vasco Da Gama: A modern, well laid out city close to Mormugao Harbour, has beautiful and extensive avenues. The air terminus of Goa at Dabolim lies on the outskirts of the city. It is also the railway terminus for passenger service on the South Central Railway.

Crocs and Spices: Spend a morning on a boat trip along the waterways of the river Zuari, with the chance to see Kingfishers, Fish eagles and Kites and, when the tide rises, perhaps even a crocodile. After your morning on the water, climb up into the hills to visit a 160 year old spice farm with a wonderful Goan style lunch.

Waterfall and Wildlife: A visit to India's second highest waterfall, a 603 metre fall of water into a pool perfect for swimming and the opportunity to visit a wildlife sanctuary.

Castaway Cruise: A relaxing day with the chance to see dolphins, take a swim or do a little fishing and enjoy a barbecue on a beautiful secluded beach.

Panaji: The capital of Goa and headquarters of North Goa District, a small and charming city on the left bank of silvery Mandovi River, with beautiful red-roofed houses, built in Latin style, also boasts of many modern houses, well laid gardens, statues and avenues lined with Glmohar, Acassia and other trees. Enchanting panorama unfolds from atop Altinho (HillTop).

Vasco Da Gama: A modern, well laid out city close to Mormugao Harbour, has beautiful and extensive avenues. The air terminus of Goa at Dabolim lies on the outskirts of the city. It is also the railway terminus for passenger service on the South Central Railway.

Crocs and Spices: Spend a morning on a boat trip along the waterways of the river Zuari, with the chance to see Kingfishers, Fish eagles and Kites and, when the tide rises, perhaps even a crocodile. After your morning on the water, climb up into the hills to visit a 160 year old spice farm with a wonderful Goan style lunch.

Waterfall and Wildlife: A visit to India's second highest waterfall, a 603 metre fall of water into a pool perfect for swimming and the opportunity to visit a wildlife sanctuary.

Castaway Cruise: A relaxing day with the chance to see dolphins, take a swim or do a little fishing and enjoy a barbecue on a beautiful secluded beach.

Make your holidays to Central Goa extra special by booking some of our great excursions, places are limited so reserve your place at your Welcome Meeting or contact your holiday representative to avoid disappointment.

Jungle Book: Join us on our overnight trip to Shanti where you can ride and swim with the elephants on our once in a lifetime Jungle Experience. You will have the chance to interact with the elephants and sample traditional village life including bathing and washing these beautiful creatures.

Rajasthani Romance: Spend the night in style in a beautiful Royal Rajasthani tent on the stunning beach of Cola - deep down in south Goa, where you will have the opportunity to relax on the powder white beach and swim in the blue lagoon.

Waterfall Wonder: Visit these beautiful waterfalls and take a refreshing swim in the cooling waters before feeding the resident cheeky monkeys.

Tiger and Tuskar Trails: Take a 3 day adventure into the neighbouring state of Karnataka to see tigers, lions, deer, peacocks and elephants on our amazing 2 night adventure into the wild.

Glimpses of Goa: A great way to see all the highlights of Goa in just one day with visits to Old Goa's churches, a spice plantation, Hindu temples and a chance to haggle for all the bargains in the capital City of Panjim.

Due to high demand and limited places, we advise you to confirm your places on any of our days or nights out at the Welcome Get Together or contact your Olympic representative.

Eating/Drinking During Central Goa Holidays

Visitors to Goa tend to think that food and drink in Goa means the famous fish, curry, rice and feni package. And for most Goans these are indeed the three basic necessities of life -- fish, curry and rice.

They combine to make a heavenly daily meal for the average Goan. But Goan cuisine, like the land itself, has many flavours and tastes with its vast treasure trove of culinary delicacies.

The long period of Portuguese rule, besides that of the Muslim and Hindu kingdoms, has left an indelible influence on the original style of Goan cooking and this has led to an exotic mix of truly tasty and spicy cuisine. Most people who sample Goan cuisine, enjoy this different and unique style of food which has a distinct and unique combination of spicy flavours.

A Goan values his food as much as he does his daily siesta (break). And in his daily meal, seafood always has a pride of place is some form or the other. From fried fish to exotic concoctions like ambot-tik, sea food is usually a must on the menu, except for the occasional break for some religious observance.

Alcohol in Goa is cheap and there is a variety of it. A must try in Goa is the coconut drink. The coconut, still wearing its green husk, is opened at the top, and to its innocent liquid is added some not-so-innocent feni (a potent alcoholic drink made from cashew fruit), crushed ice and some sweet, fruit-flavoured cordial.

Central Goa Holidays - Nightlife

The strangest custom one comes across in some areas as they make a trip to Goa is the presence of a bar-cum-restaurant in almost every third house. All the trendy looking rooms of the houses are open to the public with a couple of chairs and a table. The atmosphere is just great - relaxing and conducive to a pleasant night out with family and friends. Most of the places serve exquisite seafood and other Goan delicacies having well stocked bars. And if you want to jive the night away, there are a couple of nice discotheques in Goa.

The pubs in Goa provide an evening filled with fun and excitement. There are various pubs in Goa spread all over Goa, each designed with a different theme. Large groups of tourist as well as locals gather at these pubs to enjoy their favourite drinks and listen to the latest music. Most of these pubs provide all this and more at very affordable rates.

Getting Around on Central Goa Holidays

Taxis: For tourists, white Maruti Van Taxis serve as the main means of travelling between resorts. One will find them lined up outside most charter hotels, where a board invariably lists the destinations in and around the region. The fixed rate fares only apply to peak season, and at other times one should be able to negotiate a hefty reduction from the demanded fares.

Motorcycle Taxis: Goa's unique pillion-passenger motorcycle taxis, known locally as "pilots", are ideal for nipping between beaches or into town from the resorts. Bona fide operators ride black bikes with yellow mudguards and yellow number plates. Fares, which should be settled in advance, are almost half the auto-rickshaw rates.

Ferries: If auto-rickshaws are the quaint, essentially Indian, mode of transport, flat-bottomed ferries are their Goan equivalent. Crammed with cars, buses, commuters on scooters, fisherwomen and clumps of bewildered tourists, these blue-painted hulks provide an essential service, crossing the coastal backwaters where bridges have not yet been built. They are also incredibly reasonable, and run from the crack of dawn until late in the evening.

Central Goa Holidays Shopping

A visit is not complete unless you take back a souvenir of their memorable sojourn in this magnificent paradise. The excellent local handicrafts of Goa are easily the most popular souvenir items and include brassware, terracotta, shell work, crochet, carved furniture, bamboo work, papier-mache, etc. These are available in the Government Emporia and also at shops and stalls near the popular tourist spots.

Another item which is on the list of every traveller to Goa is a pack of the famed cashew nuts. These are available practically everywhere. There are shops specialising in selling only cashewnuts. The nuts are available in a wide variety of tastes ranging from plain, salted and masala. The prices vary based on the quality and flavour.

There are also many fascinating options in the lifestyle and fashion shops which have come up in recent times. Some of these are located in fabulous old Goan houses which have been painstakingly restored. These shops make the best selections in home styling and fashion available to the tourists at quite reasonable prices.

It is also a fascinating experience to go around and shop in the traditional markets of the Goan towns and villages. These markets are a mirror of Goa's ethnic culture and provide a glimpse of the typical Goan way of doing business.

The charm of shopping in Goa lies in bargaining to your heart's content in markets and shops until you finally bring down the price and make the purchase a worthwhile experience.